SAN FRANCISCO -- Astros second baseman Jose Altuve may not be available for Wednesday’s series finale against the Giants at Oracle Park after he was removed from Tuesday’s 4-1 loss in the second inning after he was struck by a pitch on his left foot.
Initial imaging performed on the foot Tuesday was negative, manager Joe Espada said, but Altuve was going to be sent for more tests on Wednesday.
“I didn’t think it was going to be that bad, but it was pretty sore so I had to come out of the game,” Altuve said.
Altuve was struck on the side of his left foot by a slider thrown by Giants starter Carson Whisenhunt in the first. Espada and an athletic trainer checked on Altuve on his way to first base and he initially stayed in the game. That hit by pitch loaded the bases, but Christian Walker popped out and Nelson Velazquez grounded out in his first at-bat with the Astros.
Nick Allen was on deck to hit for Altuve as the top of the second ended -- the Astros loaded the bases with one out in the second and managed one run -- and Allen wound up taking over at second base in the bottom of the inning.
“I wanted to go and play defense to see if it gets better, but it was getting worse,” Altuve said. “I didn’t want to do anything stupid so we decided to come out of the game.”
The Astros have a 2:45 p.m. CT game against the Giants on Wednesday, so Altuve would have to feel much better in the morning to be in the lineup.
“Maybe I go to sleep and wake up and be able to play,” he said. “The thing is if I’m able to play, I’ll be out here. I don’t want to take any days or waste time but it is what it is.”
Altuve, 36, is hitting .240/.304/.391 with 13 home runs and 35 RBIs. Earlier this month, Altuve recorded his 2,471st career hit, surpassing Bobby Abreu for the fourth-most by a Venezuelan-born player in Major League history. A day later, he had his 247th career homer as a second baseman, surpassing Joe Gordon and Ian Kinsler for eighth-most as a second baseman.